incidente
“incidente” means “incident” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
incident, occurrence
Also: disturbance
📝 In Action
Tuvimos un pequeño incidente con el coche, pero nada grave.
B1We had a small incident with the car, but nothing serious.
La policía investiga el incidente ocurrido anoche en el centro.
B2The police are investigating the incident that occurred downtown last night.
Después de ese incidente, todos estuvieron más atentos.
B1After that occurrence, everyone was more attentive.
procedural matter
Also: motion
📝 In Action
El abogado presentó un incidente sobre la validez de las pruebas.
C1The lawyer presented a procedural matter regarding the validity of the evidence.
La corte debe resolver primero este incidente antes de continuar el juicio.
C2The court must resolve this side issue first before continuing the trial.
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "incidente" in Spanish:
disturbance→incident→motion→occurrence→procedural matter→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: incidente
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'incidente' to mean a small problem?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word *incidens*, which is the present participle of *incidere*, meaning 'to fall into' or 'to happen upon.' It describes something that falls unexpectedly into the middle of the main events.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'incidente' always negative, like 'problem'?
It is usually negative or disruptive, meaning an unexpected complication or minor conflict. However, in formal contexts (like court), it simply means a specific side issue that needs to be addressed, which is neutral.
How is 'incidente' different from 'incidencia'?
'Incidente' is the specific event or happening (the car accident). 'Incidencia' is usually a count or rate, referring to how often something happens (the incidence of car accidents in a year).

